Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Helena remained on Grayson’s left, holding on to his arm as they strolled around the track. This park had been a favorite of his all his life, and he was shocked to find that Helena had never enjoyed the historic site. Revolutionary war memorials decorated the large property that sat atop the lake, which had allowed a beautiful view of the city and the bridge to get to it. Large freight ships made a slow crawl across the water, prompting many people to bring binoculars to get a better look. Helena dressed in her long, flowy black skirt, and sandals with a crop top that showed a sliver of the belly Grayson loved so much. She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. He had gently reminded Helena that wearing black wouldn’t help the scorching heat, and in fact only make her hotter. But she vehemently rejected it, claiming that black was the only color for her in times like these. He smiled, relenting to the will of his witchy woman.
Ignoring the strange looks from passersby, she marveled at the view, watching how people on speed boats raced across the water to a small island on a sandbank. The tide was out, leaving a small path where people could climb down and collect shells and stones.
Helena bounced on her toes as she leaned over the half-open gate, teetering on going down to inspect any treasures and staying close to him.
She looked down at him, pleading with her eyes.
“Can I go down there?” she asked with a point.
“Good girl, asking Daddy. You can but be careful not to step on anything sharp.”
She squealed and opened the gate, climbing down the two or three steps onto the damp sand.
“Look at all the shells!”
She held up the hem of her skirt with one hand, revealing her shapely lower calves and ankles. Grayson would let her go barefoot if he wasn’t concerned about her hurting herself.
“Be careful, babygirl. Watch your step.”
“I am!” She barely looked up, bending over to inspect a certain few shiny rocks.
Within ten minutes, Helena was running back and forth at the water’s edge, giggling and smiling ear to ear with a handful of differently colored and shaped rocks. She wanted to polish them and put them in her collection, she shouted over the small waves accumulating by her feet.
“You have a rock collection?” Grayson rested his elbows on his knees just a few feet above her, a small part of him kicking himself for not knowing about her hobby.
“Yeah! Crystals, rocks, feathers; I used to press flowers!” She squinted up at him, using her free hand to shield the sun.
“Here, baby. Use this.”
He removed his hat and stretched it down to her. But instead of putting it on her head, she used it to collect even more rocks.
Deciding it was too cute for him to protest, Grayson resigned himself to not getting his hat back for a while.
Helena stopped frolicking for a moment and frowned.
“I wish you could be down here with me, Daddy. You need to have fun too.” Her shoulders dropped and her body visibly shrank as a sadness overcame her face.
“No, baby. I want you to enjoy yourself. Daddy’s right here.”
Sure, it would be nice to hold her by the water’s edge and press his lips to hers, to pick her up and swing her around as the damp hem of her skirt whipped around his legs as the sun set behind them.
Grayson chuckled at the tropey vision. This was their own version of having fun, and there was still much more to see once they scaled the hill behind them, where a historic home and many statues decorated the land.
“Are you sure?”
“Baby, if I don’t see that smile on your face in the next five seconds I’ll crawl down there—”
“No no no! You’ll hurt yourself!” She held out her hand, stopping him from doing just that.
Now she smiled.
Looking back and forth, she pointed to her left.
“Can I go down there, Daddy?”
He tilted his head, making sure there was nothing that looked dangerous. What looked like an abandoned boat sat just a few yards away. Grayson decided that was far enough since he would be unable to see her and help if she was hurt.
“Yes, but stop at that boat, and don’t let me catch you going any further than that.”
He held up his finger in warning, and she eagerly nodded her head.
She picked up her skirts again and made a beeline for it.
Once she collected even more pieces of rock, she decided she’d try balancing on an upended tree. A stern look from Grayson prompted her to get down immediately.
Helena resumed her activities, but her teasing eyes beneath her long lashes told him she only wanted to get a rise out of him.
Maybe there was just a little brat in his girl.
When Helena’s back was turned, he snapped a picture on his phone. She was always shy about pictures, covering her pretty face and fussing over her hair. But this is exactly the kind of photo he wanted. Something raw, uninhibited. At her happiest moment doing something that made her smile. His hat, now visibly weighed down by the weight of all the stones she was collecting signaled that she should probably stop while she was ahead, but she refused to leave her watery refuge.
“Excuse me, sir?”
Grayson’s focus was shifted to an older woman with a dog. She approached him slowly, as if he’d bite. He rolled his eyes, familiar with the hesitance strangers had around him. When he was younger and people came up to him and his father to nosily ask “what was wrong with him” he used to curse them out in public, much to his introvert father’s chagrin.
“Can I help you?” He balanced looking at her and keeping an eye on Helena, who was unaware of the woman.
“Hello. I just couldn’t help but notice you. How can I pray for you today?”
And there it was.
“I’m sorry?” Grayson tucked away his phone with a scowl.
“Jesus loves you. How can I pray for Him to heal you today?”
Christ, not this again.
“Ma’am, you don’t have to do that. There’s nothing wrong with me.”
Even the dog seemed unimpressed, trying to pull her away with a chuff.
“Oh, but there is, and I can assure that prayer is the answer.”
Grayson wanted to roll his eyes in the back of his head so far they touched the ground.
“No, that’s all right. I’m doing just fine the way I am.”
He couldn’t hear Helena giggle anymore, followed by wet determined footsteps. and given her track record with rude people in their presence, he wanted to cringe thinking what was at the tip of her tongue.
“Yes, but—”
“Did you not hear him the first time? He said no.”
How had she hurried to his side so quickly? She hadn’t opened the gate. Grayson realized she hopped it in an angry frenzy.
Grayson touched her arm, a silent warning that she should mind her tongue unless she wanted a reprimand in the form of gagged spanking when they got home.
“I won’t be needing prayers. I have everything I need right here.” He snaked his hand around her curvy form. Helena stood tall, her body almost vibrating. He knew she wanted to say something badly.
The woman sputtered before giving up and finally walked off. Helena opened her mouth, but snapped it shut, remembering how Grayson preferred her to conduct herself when something like this occurred.
“Good girl.”
Helena took a deep breath to regulate herself.
“Show me your rocks, baby.”
She obliged, holding out her collection currently taking up his hat.
“I think I have some sandpaper in my tool chest. Why don’t we play with these and polish them when we get home.”
He rubbed her back reassuringly. It was all over, and something so trivial wouldn’t ruin their day, even if it was hurtful.
“Yes, please.”